In the past half-century, the subject of modesty (in Hebrew, tsni’ut), and, in particular, feminine modesty, has become a major preoccupation in some Orthodox circles, and a major flashpoint for intra-Orthodox debate. Reviewing a collection of writings on the subject, Sarah Rindner turns to an unlikely source: the scholar of political theory Allan Bloom:
For Bloom modesty does not erase sexuality but quite the opposite. It relates to the life force, to our potential as human beings to procreate and generate life. By extending the existence of sexual differentiation to every aspect of life, tsni’ut reminds both men and women of their ultimate purpose in relation to one another. A woman wearing a skirt in an environment where everyone else is wearing slacks is not necessarily expressing her interiority, her dignity, or her commitment to Judaism, [as various apologists for tsni’ut contend]. She is also simply reminding herself and others that she is a woman, and there are some things that are more important than productivity in the marketplace.
The fact that modesty in practice is uncomfortable, unfair, and imbalanced is not a quirk of the system but a feature. While a complete absence of modesty might make sexual gratification easier to attain in the short term, it ultimately serves to deflate eros and desire. In a world that seeks to reduce our sexual interactions to the most banal transactions, the strictures of modesty remind us of their potency and power.
Read more on Tradition: https://traditiononline.org/%f0%9f%94%93book-review-bracha-poliakoff-and-anthony-manning-reclaiming-dignity-a-guide-to-tzniut-for-men-and-women/